Locking mechanism for reclining-chairs.



0. L. OSTENDORF.

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR RECLINING CHAIRS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2!. I915.

ca 1 9 1 1 5 w P d IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

n tllh ldltjm OTTO L. QSTENDORF, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, Mlle.

Application filed October 27, 1915. Serial No. 58,252.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, O'rTo L. ()srnnnonr, of Rochester, in .the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Mechanism for Reclining-Chairs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

,My invention has for its object to provide I a construction that is simple and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and adapted to be applied to reclining or adj ustable chairs of the type that permits moving the back to different positions with relation to the seat frame to accommodate the body of the occupant, and the present structure is intended for locking the back frame in any of its positions of adjustment. An addi tional object of the invention is to afford a construction that can be readily applied to a chair, and which can be reached and con trolled by a person while sitting in the chair, without the slightest difficulty or discomfort. To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claim at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chair illustratin g the application of the invention in a preferred embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a detail view in bottom plan, showing the attachments which embody the invention, removed from the chair;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the locking mechanism with parts in released position;

Fig. i is a similar view with the parts locked, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The invention is shown as applied to a chair comprising a seat frame 1, back frame 2 and arm portion 3, the back frame 2 being arranged for movement with relation to the seat frame, whereby the back can be adjusted readily modate the back of a person, but the particular form of chair does not constitute any to any desired position to accomvital part of the invention, since the-latter may be appliedwith equal facility to any of the ordinary types of reclining or adjustable-back chairs.

It is desirable to lock the back frame in any position of adjustment, while at the same time permitting it to be readily released and adjusted quickly and readily to a new position, and with this in view, I employ a member that is slida'bly arranged on the arm portion, and operatively connected to the back frame. This is accomplished preferably through a slide embodying a rack f. having pivotal connection with a rod 5, which in turn is operatively associated with the back frame. The rack 4 is movably disposed on the under side of the arm portion, and travels in a guide 6 formed in the frame 7 the latter being attached to the arm portion in any suitable manner. The guide 6 is cutaway. at 8 to provide an opening through which engages a locking member to coiiperate with the slide or rack 4:, and the locking member referred to preferably embodies a base portion 9 having a corrugated or toothed flange 10 at one side thereof, and a lug or projection 11 at its opposite side for a purpose'that will appear presently. The locking member is slidable on the frame 7 in a direction at right angles to the path of of projections 12, prefera ly in the form of lugs struck up from the frame, which may be formed of sheet metal. Thus when the locking member is moved to its innermost position, the teeth 8 engage the rack 4 and hold the latter quite rigidly against movement, and by moving the locking member to its outermost position, or away from the rack 4:, the latter is free and the back frame can be adjusted.

A manually controlled operating lever is provided for moving the locking member into and out of locking position, and this is preferably accomplished by the eccentric lever 13, which is movable about the axis 14, and carries an eccentric l5, engaging between. the projection 11 and the flange 10 of the locking member, thereby serving to cause movement of the latter as the lever 13 is swung about its axis. The base portion 9 of the locking member is slotted at 15 to allow for movement relatively to the axis 14 as the locking member is adjusted.

It will be seen from an inspection of Figs.

adjustment of the back, and always holding f the latter rigidly in such adjusted position.

3 and 4c that when the parts are locked, the lever 13 extends laterally, and to release the locking member so as to permit adjustment "of the back frame, it is'only necessary to throwthe lever 13 to its front position, as shown in Fig 4. The rack 4 is then released, and theback can be adjusted to a new position in which it is held again by throwing the lever 13 back to its lateral position of Fig. 3; The structure described affords an extremely simple and unique arrangement which can be manufactured at low cost, and readily assembled. Furthermore, the operation is a most simple one, requiring practically no effort on the part of a person in the chair, permitting quick I claim as my invention:

In a locking mechanism, the combination with a slide embodying a rack, of a relatively stationary frame, a locking member comprising a base, a toothed flange at one edge of said base arranged for engaging the rack, a projection at the opposite edge of the base, lugs provided on the frame forming a guide for the locking member, a lever pivoted on the frame, and an eccentric formed on said lever and disposed between the toothed flange and the projection of the 5 locking member for operating the latter.

OTTO L. OSTENDORF.

Vitne'sses RUSSELL B. GRIFFITH, H. E. STONEBRA'KER.

Copies ofthis-patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. (1." 

